These air fryer buffalo chicken drumsticks are a great alternative to the usual chicken wing. Ready in less than 30 minutes, they make a perfect meal any night of the week.
We love buffalo chicken in this house and I am always looking for alternatives from the usual chicken wing. Don’t get me wrong. Buffalo chicken wings are amazing, but they are small, they don’t have a lot of meat, and they are better suited for an appetizer or party platter. Buffalo chicken drumsticks, on the other hand, are like the tasty big brother to the wing. They are big, meaty, and a perfect meal.
For this recipe I chose to break out my trusty air fryer. I know I’ve mentioned in a previous post how long I resisted buying one of these appliances. Now that I have one, and have been using it for a while, I honestly don’t know what I did without it.
My air fryer has its own spot right on the counter, it is used so often that I cleared a spot and left it there. What I love about it most is how fast and evenly it cooks. These buffalo chicken drumsticks are perfectly cooked in about half the time as cooking them in the oven, and clean up is so easy.
Because these drumsticks are cooked in under 30 minutes, they make a great meal any night of the week. Sometimes we just serve them with some chopped veggies, but when I want something more substantial I love to serve them with these super creamy instant pot mashed potatoes, or for something lighter, this easy coleslaw.
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER BUFFALO CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
Begin by making your seasoning blend and then sprinkle it on the drumsticks and toss to coat.
Place the chicken in as even layer as possible in your air fryer and set to 380 for 25 minutes. I always have a few that overlap, and it’s totally ok, just be sure that you rotate the drumsticks at the half way mark.
Make the sauce while the chicken is cooking.
Once the air fryer is finished, remove the chicken, place it in a large bowl and coat in the sauce.
That’s it! Look how beautiful and crispy those drumsticks are. I love that we can get that crispy skin with absolutely no additional oils or fats.
After you’ve drenched the drumsticks in the spicy hot sauce, serve them with your favourite dip, like this chunky blue cheese dip.
Be sure to provide plenty of napkins, they get a little messy, but they are so worth it.
THINGS TO KNOW & HELPFUL TIPS
- Can I leave the flour out? Yes, if you would rather leave the flour out you can. You can either increase the cornstarch a bit, or leave it out completely. They won’t be quite as crisp, but they are still delicious. If you need to keep these low carb, you can leave the cornstarch out too.
- I don’t have an air fryer. If you don’t have an air fryer yet, you can bake these. Bake at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until internal temperature when read with a meat thermometer is 165 degrees.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Buffalo chicken spring rolls
Easy boneless chicken bites
Instant pot rotisserie style chicken
Easy air fryer chicken tenders
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 Chicken Drumsticks
- 1 Tbsp Flour
- 2 tsp Corn starch
- 2 tsp Chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Dried mustard
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
- Pinch Salt
For the Sauce
- 3/4 Cup Hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Clove Garlic minced
Instructions
- Mix the flour, corn starch and spices in a small bowl.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl, then add the seasoning and toss to coat.
- Place in your air fryer in a single layer (as best you can). Then set to 380 degrees for 25 minutes
- Half way through the cook time, open the air fryer and turn the drumsticks to help ensure even cooking.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the hot sauce, butter and garlic to a small sauce pan.
- Heat just until the butter is melted and the sauce is heated through.
- When the chicken is finished cooking transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat.
- Serve with blue cheese or ranch dip.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Michelle
Sunday 20th of February 2022
Perfect
Deanna
Thursday 24th of February 2022
Thank you. Very glad you enjoyed them!
Tina
Monday 25th of January 2021
So far the best buffalo chicken in an air fryer. Super easy and so much more to eat. Love them
Chef Dennis
Sunday 24th of May 2020
Yum! My sons will definitely love this air fryer buffalo chicken drumsticks! Looks really delicious!
Leslie
Saturday 23rd of May 2020
I desperately need to get an air fryer so I can make recipes like this! These look incredible!
debra
Saturday 23rd of May 2020
This recipe is my kids dream come true dinner. Pinning to add to the rotation in this weeks menus.